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Faith the Great Grey Mouser!

For those who don't know, we live in the mountains, a very rural place (that I absolutley love) at the end of a road with wilderness on three sides. I can see the rooftops of our nearest neighbors ... if I try hard. It is a beautiful peacefull area, but there is wildlife to contend with. On a couple occasions we have seen bears walking our fenceline (they've never been a bother), we have mountain lions around, lots of coyotes, and of course ... the inevitable field mice everywhere outside. As long as the little buggers stay outside where they belong they're not really a problem, but a couple months back one found its way into the house and set up shop in our bedroom.Me being the big softie I am, of course we had to go out and buy some little mouse box traps that catch the thing live (as my husband so eloquently put it - so I could go turn it loose outside where it would promptly let itself back in thru whatever crack it had originally found, and come back smarter than the box trap to annoy me again.)

Moving right along ... the box traps didn't work. Apparently our new little friend was smarter than we were ... despite the various treats we tried to entice him with for a couple weeks straight. He liked his new lodgings and wasn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon. This was around the time I was dealing with all-day-long-morning-sickness, so I was spending a lot of time in bed. Usually I'd be working on my laptop, but I was quiet so I'd often see the little fat furry critter scurrying from place to place across the floor.

Now Faith is always by my side, constantly in the same room as I am of course, and it didn't take her long to notice there was a intriguing new squeaky-toy scuttling around her room. She was fascinated by the mouse. This dog would sit or lay at the corner of the bed, perched like a cat for hours while she stared at the corner the mouse was last seen. I could always tell the mouse's whereabouts by following the direction Faith's nose and ears were pointing. She would follow it around the room, peering under dressers, trying to wedge herself under cabinets, stalking it's every move, fascinated by whatever little mousey-noises it would make in the assorted corners it would hang out in. I have never in my life seen Faith so very totally utterly obsessed by something as she was with this mouse!

This went on for about two weeks. Me trying (without luck) to trap the mouse, and Faith spending every waking minute watching its every move. Sometimes she would scramble out of bed in the middle of the night to stalk it over to the dresser or whever it happened to be at that moment.

So, about the time I'm really getting frustrated with the unwelcome guest, and the unsuccessful traps, I go out to run a day's worth of errands one afternoon. I left Faith home as it was a hot day and we were going to lots of places she would have had to wait in the car. We come home from a long day of running, nice and tired, and tell Richard I'm heading to the bedroom to take a short nap. When I walked in the door, as always, Faith was right there to greet me in an estatic bouncy happy dance of energy and enthusiasm. However, this time was different, she'd bounce around and say hi, then dart off across the house and come racing back to bounce off me again. I followed her into the bedroom (where she kept running off to) and she darted up onto the bed to stand proudly over her prize and make sure I noticed it right away.For those of you who have figured out where this is going ... YES, the (limp & soggy) mouse was proudly displayed in a sodden pile right smack in the middle of my bed.I have never seen Faith so proud of herself. She was so pleased with her accomplishment, and so proud of her "prize" that I hardly had the heart to call Richard to come take it away.

OK, so I lied there. Just a little bit.

Considering it was in the middle of my BED, (and I can only imagine it had been from one side to the other and over the pillows too while it was still a wriggly-squeaky-play-toy), it was actually quite easy to yell for Richard to haul the little carcas off as quickly as possible.

Needless to say, the bed, the pillows, and Faith all got a bath before I got my nap that afternoon.

She was so pleased with herself though!Since then, anytime we visit a pet store her favorite thing to do is to find the mouse and gerbil cages... where she will excitedly eyeball all the scurrying little critters for as long as I will let her. I think the ultimate "Faith-toy" would be a gerbil in one of those hard plastic balls ... she would never tire of it. (NO, I wouldn't actually do that to the poor gerbil though!)

There are so many things to keep busy with latley, I haven't posted as much as I would like to, but had to take a few minutes to share her funny story.

Just A Little Faith!

Faith's "Story" is one that never should have existed. By all rights, her story should have been over almost as soon as it began...

"Once upon a time there was a puppy.The puppy had an accident and broke her neck.She was given no chance of recovery, and was put to sleep."

End Of Story.(or at least it should have been)

Faith's story though, is a bit longer than it should have been (by all rights).Her story is being written daily, and is a story of determination, faith, hope, and miracles! We invite you to join in sharing her journey, and cheering for a little girl who just refuses to give up!